Evaluating imatinib in severe COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Considering the potential antiviral and immunomodulatory properties of imatinib, this drug has been investigated in several studies as a potential treatment option for severe cases of COVID-19, given that treatment modalities available remain limited.

To evaluate the benefits or otherwise of imatinib for COVID-19 in severely ill patients, we performed a systematic review of studies that tested the efficacy and the safety of imatinib for COVID-19 and executed a meta-analysis.

We searched Medline, Embase and Cochrane with the following search terms: 'coronavirus', 'SARS-Cov2', 'covid', 'covid-19' and 'imatinib'. The latest search date was November 2023. We used Cochrane Collaboration's tool to assess bias in randomized trials.

We included three randomized controlled trials with 561 participants. A total of 276 patients received imatinib and 285 received placebo. The mortality results showed no statistically significant differences between imatinib and controls (RR 0.61; 95% CI 0.37 to 1.01; p=0.06). There was no significant difference in length of hospital stay or severe adverse events occurring between groups.

Current evidence suggests that the potential benefits of imatinib should be further evaluated in randomized controlled trials in patients hospitalized for COVID-19.